Mustang Mission

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) frequently states that wild equines are overpopulated, and many believe it without question.  The BLM's claims are correct and based on science, right?  Maybe not.  Let's dig into this deeper - you may be surprised at what we find. First, it is necessary to note that the BLM's leadership is very much against wild horses and burros.  Why?  Because many ranchers in the livestock industry hate wild horses and burros since they compete for the forage on the range.  Ranchers have a lot of power and influence in the BLM's decision making.  Not to mention that nearly every member of the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board is for livestock and against wild horses; this is obvious by their statements and votes during board meetings. The BLM's method for population counts is not efficient.  The Double Observer Method is conducted over several days as the BLM counts wild horses and burros from ...

If you are new to Mustang Mission, please learn why I am working to save Cumberland Island's Wild Horses and how you can help . This past weekend, two of my siblings and I camped overnight on Cumberland Island.  It was one big adventure!  We knew we were in for an adventure when the forecast steadily called for rain on Friday, so we weren't surprised to arrive in St Marys right as it started to rain. It was very windy and rained the entire time on our ferry trip to the island. After disembarking at the Sea Camp Dock, we checked in at the ranger station. We weren't anxious to get soaked, so we stayed under shelter for a while, hoping the rain would slow down. We weren't the only ones, as many other visitors saw the advantage of a roof! Finally, the rain slowed to a drizzle, and we left the comfort of the ranger station to bike a 1/2 mile to our campsite.  Thankfully, the campsite provided some shelter since the trees were so thick overhead. Setting up camp in the rain is...

*Mustang Mission Wild Equine Rescue is currently obtaining 501(c)3 nonprofit status, but at this time your donations ARE NOT tax-deductible .  However, an incredibly generous donor will match your donations if we reach our goal of $1,500! Each year, the Bureau of Land Management rounds up thousands of wild horses and burros from their western rangelands.  While mustangs are the more popular wild equine, burros are equally as important.  After capture, these mustangs and burros are housed in tiny holding facilities for months or years before being offered for adoption or sale via online auction or in-person adoption events. On the Bureau of Land Management's upcoming online auction is a group of older burros available as sales eligible.  That means they can be sold without limitation and the purchaser is not held accountable for what they do with the burros once they leave the government holding facilities.  Although not proven, many of these sales eligible burro...

Ember is available for adoption!  This is your chance to own a very special little mustang!  Ember is great on the ground and has been started lightly undersaddle.  She is very well desensitized and absolutely loves people, attention, activity, and adventures.  She is very easy to handle and works hard to please people.  Ember is very good with children and has been a part of my family’s farm field trips for children.  She is easygoing, gentle, fun, curious, and brave - with a bit of spice! 😁 Ember is from the Goshute HMA (Herd Management Area) in Nevada.  She is 13hh and would be best suited for a smaller rider.  Despite her size, though, she is very strong and has a long stride!  Instead of listing all that Ember can do, I’ve made a video for you to watch ! Ember’s adoption fee is $2,000.  If you are interested in Ember, you can fill out our adoption application .  Or, email me at mustangmissionrescue@gmail.com if you have any qu...

There’s a new face around here! Rocket, a mustang from the Sand Wash Basin Herd in Colorado, has made his way to Mustang Mission after being in the holding pens for a year and a half. Rocket is twelve years old and was a very successful band stallion when he lived in the wild. Sadly, he was separated from his entire band when he was captured. A few months ago, one of Mustang Mission’s board members, Mary Ellen MacDonald, approached me with the idea of rescuing Rocket and bringing him to Mustang Mission for gentling and training. He had been one of the first wild horses she had seen when visiting Colorado, and she felt a strong connection to him. I agreed to take Rocket in, and she won his bid during the auction at the end of January. Rocket was a Sales Authority mustang (like Alamo), meaning he was offered for sale without limitations. Horses like him frequently end up in bad situations. On March 24, Rocket arrived safe and sound! He has settled in very well and is proving to be one of...

As you know, there are a lot of sad and horrible situations that come to light when rescuing horses. In this email, I wanted to give you a peek into something I recently saw on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) online auction coming up. I believe it’s important that you know what is happening to our mustangs and burros. The grim reality. This gelding is extremely thin - noticeable ribs, a thin neck, and protruding hips. This sorrel mustang is the face of mustangs that suffer in holding due to lack of care. Sadly, our tax dollars are paying the BLM to “care” for this mustang. I can’t know all the details, but it is very likely that this mustang is at the bottom of the pecking order in his holding pen and is being chased away from food. The holding pens are so crowded there is likely nowhere for this gelding to go where he can eat in peace. Honestly, he is so thin that he’s a horse I would’ve expected to see in a kill pen, not in the care of a government organization that receives bi...

Sweet Ember is coming along so fast in her training.  I'm really looking forward to starting her under saddle very soon!  If anyone has a pony-sized saddle that they'd like to donate, please let me know!

  After some issues with Alamo not accepting Ember, my little herd is finally all together!  I am very grateful. 😅 

The other day I was going through my pictures from our trip to visit the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses two years ago and came across this action-packed shot.  Pictured is Quanah and Oro - both are successful, young band stallions today.  May they forever stay free. ❤️

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸 Today is such a special time to celebrate our freedom as Americans. I’m blessed to spend this day, for the first time, with two icons that represent freedom. Although their freedom of living wild was taken away, I’m grateful to have been able to give them back their freedom of choice and thankful that they have chosen to accept life with humans! Alamo, who is a true mustang warrior, inspires me every day to keep fighting for the mustangs and burros’ freedom. I hope that you’ll be constantly reminded throughout today to thank God for our freedoms and for those who thought of the future generations over themselves, and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. May their sacrifices never be forgotten or taken for granted. I pray that each of you have a blessed, safe day celebrating! Please take a moment now to thank God for our freedoms. Mustang Mission T-shirts with this design ⬇️ are on sale today ! Use the code: FREEDOM15 to get 15% off!

Ember enjoys using the wood posts as scratching material!  

  Pickup + Week One with Ember!   Follow along in this video to experience the first week with this little mustang mare. She’s doing so well with her training!

Thanks to all of you, this little mare is safe! She arrived at our rescue yesterday and is doing so well. Her expression gets brighter and more alive every time I go out to check on her! She is very thin, but I can already notice her gaining weight. She gets all of the hay she wants and is enjoying Alfalfa Pellets. I can’t wait to get her on the feed I give my other mustang, Alamo, as it has done wonders for him. As Rune has just stepped into a new life, she needs a new name, too. I’d like to introduce her to you as Ember! Ember represents all the mustangs in kill pens, and she is a wonderful reminder to me that there is hope for those horses. Thank you again for your support and prayers! It means so much to me, and I thank God for all of you. ~Erin P.S. There’s a big story behind our drive home with Ember… stay tuned for a blog post about her rescue story!